The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a storage medium for allowing an image processing program to be executed by a computer. More particularly, the invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a storage medium for allowing an image processing program to be executed by a computer, the apparatus and the method permitting acquisition of identification information from a two-dimensional code and position information about the two-dimensional code, the acquired information being used as a basis for carrying out various processes.
Recent years have witnessed widespread use of personal computer operating systems such as Windows 95 and Windows 98 (registered trademarks), both from Microsoft Corporation in the United States. Such operating systems offer on a display screen a task bar with indications visible to users such as buttons representing applications each having an active window. A technique dealing with the use of the task bar is disclosed in detail by Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 8-255066.
Below is an excerpt from the cited patent application. The task bar is a visible user interface element that informs a user which tasks are currently active. The task bar also serves as a point for displaying currently active task windows. The task bar includes a start menu button including menu items that allow the user to activate desired programs, open documents and control system settings.
In a typical computer system including a central processing unit (CPU) and such peripherals as a mouse, a keyboard and a video display, the start menu button on the task bar is operated illustratively as follows: the start menu button is operated by the user to open the start menu serving as a centralized location for gaining access to programs, documents, system controls and help information. Initially, the user points a mouse cursor to the start menu button and clicks on a left mouse button. The actions cause the start menu to appear.
The start menu typically includes such menu items as programs, search, setting and help. The xe2x80x9cprogramsxe2x80x9d menu item permits access to a program menu hierarchically displayed from the start menu become accessible. The program menu displays a plurality of application programs and a group of programs that may be selected by the user.
The user is required repeatedly to perform complicated actions when selecting and activating a desired application program from the task bar including the start menu button. Specifically, the user first points the mouse cursor to the start menu button on the task bar and clicks on the left mouse button to display the start menu. Next, the user points the mouse cursor to the xe2x80x9cprogramsxe2x80x9d menu item in the start menu and clicks on the left mouse button to display the program menu. The user then points the mouse cursor to an indication of the desired application program in the program menu, and clicks on the left mouse button. Another series of point and click actions is needed if there is an application program group. Finally the CPU activates the selected application program.
The user is required conventionally to repeat such complicated actions before starting the desired application program. If the user is already handling some other chores with one hand, operating the above pointing device with the other hand often turns out to be a difficult task from a user interface point of view. The same difficulty is encountered when other menu items such as xe2x80x9chelpxe2x80x9d are clicked on from the start menu program for desired processing.
Meanwhile, the so-called bar code system is used extensively in various industrial fields. The system involves encoding in bars alphanumeric characters representing identification numbers and other information about goods and articles, and attaching such codes to the goods and products so that their identification information may later be scanned and retrieved by an optical recognition apparatus called a bar code scanner.
At cash registers or like equipment installed in retail stores, bar codes on sold products are optically scanned so as to acquire their identification numbers. The acquired identification numbers are used as a basis for retrieving previously stored prices of the corresponding products from a database, and the retrieved prices are displayed at the cashiers"" counter.
The conventional bar code has been utilized as a means for alleviating the burden of cashiers entering product identification numbers. However, the code system has not been used for bypassing the chores of input operations such as menu selections when a desired program is activated selectively from among application programs stored beforehand on a hard disk drive (HDD) of a general purpose personal computer.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a storage medium for allowing an image processing program to be executed by a computer, wherein a target image when simply captured prompts automatic execution of a desired process corresponding to the image.
In carrying out the invention and according to one aspect thereof, there is provided an image processing apparatus including: image acquiring means for acquiring a target image; identification information recognizing means for recognizing identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern from the target image acquired by the image acquiring means; and activating means for activating selectively from among a plurality of previously stored processes a specific process corresponding to the identification information recognized by the identification information recognizing means so as to start execution of the specific process.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an image processing method including the steps of: acquiring a target image; recognizing identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern from the target image acquired by the image acquiring means; and activating selectively from among a plurality of previously stored processes a specific process corresponding to the identification information recognized in the identification information recognizing step so as to start execution of the specific process.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a storage medium for storing an image processing program executable by a computer and including the steps of: acquiring a target image; recognizing identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern from the target image acquired by the image acquiring means; and activating selectively from among a plurality of previously stored processes a specific process corresponding to the identification information recognized in the identification information recognizing step so as to start execution of the specific process.
Through the use of the inventive image processing apparatus, image processing method and storage medium outlined above, identification information is first recognized from an acquired target image. A specific process corresponding to the acquired identification information is then activated selectively from among a plurality of previously stored processes.